Evening salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase at 14months and neurodevelopment at 4years: Sex differences

• Published in: Hormones and behavior 2017-08, Vol.94, p.135-144
• Main Authors: Andiarena, Ainara, Balluerka, Nekane, Murcia, Mario, Ibarluzea, Jesús, Glover, Vivette, Vegas, Oscar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Factors; Alpha-amylase; Brain - growth & development; Child Development - physiology; Child, Preschool; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Cognition - physiology; Cortisol; Early-life stress; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hydrocortisone - analysis; Hydrocortisone - metabolism; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Neurodevelopment; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - metabolism; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - psychology; Saliva; Saliva - chemistry; Saliva - metabolism; Salivary alpha-Amylases - analysis; Salivary alpha-Amylases - metabolism; Sex Characteristics; Sex differences; Stress, Psychological - metabolism
• ISSN: 0018-506X; 1095-6867
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.07.008

Stress system activity in early life can have long-term effects on neurodevelopment. The main aim of this study was to assess the association of child evening salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase basal levels at 14months of age with longer-term neuropsychological development at 4years in a low-risk population-based birth cohort derived from the INMA (Environment and Childhood) project in Spain. We included 186 parent-children pairs with information on both stress system activity and neurodevelopment. Both stress markers at 14months of age showed an association with neuropsychological development at 4years. Salivary cortisol showed a sex-specific pattern of association. In girls, cortisol levels at 14months were negatively associated with cognitive development [long-term declarative memory (β=−17.8, p=0.028; 95% CI=−33.2 to −2.5); executive function (β=−9.8, p=0.08; 95% CI=−21 to 1)] and gross motor development (β=−13; p=0.022; 95% CI=−24 to −2), whereas in boys cortisol levels were negatively associated with socioemotional development [autistic-like behaviours: Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR)=1.6, p=0.039; 95% CI=1.01 to 2.41]. Salivary alpha-amylase was positively associated with socioemotional development in boys only [social competence (β=2.11, p=0.013; 95% CI=0.47 to 3.72), autistic-like behaviours (IRR=0.93, p=0.042; 95% CI=0.87 to 0.99) and hyperactivity symptoms (IRR=0.81, p=0.021; 95% CI=0.69 to 0.97)]. These results suggest that stress system activity in early life is associated with longer-term neurodevelopment and that sex is an important factor in this relationship. [Display omitted]